Congress should act on sensible immigration reform

Updated 10:20 pm, Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Environmental activists want San Antonio Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, to hold Texas hearings on climate change.

Environmental activists want San Antonio Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, to hold Texas hearings on climate change.

Photo: JERRY LARA, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Congress should act on sensible immigration reform

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The United States needs comprehensive immigration reform that takes into account the demographics of an aging population, the labor needs of the U.S. economy, national security, and the tradition of an immigrant nation. In his victory speech in Chicago last month, President Barack Obama listed immigration reform among his priorities for a second term.

The failure to make bipartisan progress on a fix to avoid the fiscal cliff, however, suggests the prospects for comprehensive immigration reform are grim. So does the experience of George W. Bush. Eight years ago during his second term, Bush made the last serious attempt to bring U.S. immigration policies into the 21st century — and failed.

Piecemeal reforms aren't preferable. But Congress and the White House should seize any opportunity to improve outdated U.S. immigration policies.

Last week, the Republican-controlled House approved a measure sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, that would grant 55,000 visas to highly-skilled science, technology, engineering and math workers. Twenty-seven Democrats, including Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, joined with 218 Republicans to pass the STEM Jobs Act.

Giving work visas to immigrants who receive doctorates from U.S. universities in STEM fields would wisely keep well-educated entrepreneurs in this country. That makes far more sense than forcing them to take their American educations — and their skills — to other countries.

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There's a catch, though. Those 55,000 STEM visas come at the expense of 55,000 visas distributed annually to entry-level workers in a diversity lottery. Democratic leaders want the STEM visas on top of the diversity lottery green cards, meaning the STEM Jobs Act faces a dead end in the Senate unless there's some compromise.

Smith added a sweetener for Democrats — a sensible provision that allows family members of immigrants to remain in the United States while they wait for permanent-resident visas. There may be room to negotiate keeping some number of the diversity lottery visas. Senate Democrats, however, won't know unless they try.

If the two parties can't come to an agreement on the desirability of granting visas to highly educated immigrants and keeping the families of legal immigrants together, there's no hope that Congress will be able to tackle some of the more intractable aspects of immigration reform.